i know there alot of egos,but how can we as racers and support people and whoever enjoys racing get this done? sbi has the schedule and apba has the rules makes a great combo.

I guess you didn't look at the UIM site. They don't seem to recognize our world Champions.

Lobsterboy has a good point.
We used to have the best parties in the pits.
Everyone would get together & have a great time. Each team would bring something & before you knew it, arch rivals were sharing cocktails, great food & old war stories. It really brought the teams together & quite often, spectators would share in the fun.

Having dozens of World Champions each year has some benefit in the number of entries. However, it dilutes the value of the title. If it were left to me, I would try to align our top class, and whatever class most nearly matches their Class II, to the UIM rules. They are seriously slashing the cost of participation, and it might be a good time to try to unite. I was the US delegate to the UIM Offshore Commission in 1967, 8 & 9. We had harmony around the world, ruleswise. At Key West, about a third of the entries were foreign. Great racing! The lack of foreign participants is nearly 100% because their boats can't meet our rules.

I strongly recommend that some branch of APBA get a working delegate to the meetings in Europe and try to lay some ground work for the near future.

Equipment is the current obstacle. If we were to give up the #6 for shaft/rudder boats they might give up the Lambo v12 for the v8. We are both too entrenched in our respective vendor bases.

UIM C1 is suffering from dysfunction as well and would be interested cutting costs (Lambo v12) and increasing competition (i.e. entertainment product) but will not go backwards technologically (#6).

Your are correct. BUT, my point is that we should plant some seeds of harmony that might bear fruit down the way. It can work.

Jim, not to butt heads with you butwhy do we need the UIM to recognize our champions? They don't recognize ours.
You say "without the UIM, we simply have national champions". Well, isn't that what we really have? I mean, how can a team achieve "world champion" status without ever competing in an international event?
The closest I've seen was when SBI had Puerto Rico, Argentina, Japan, Norway and a Bahamian team competing.
There are alot of other countries like Australia and others with some great teams/ boats. Do they all cry UIM?
Again, I'm not bashing you. I just don't see why we need to wave the UIM flag here all the time

I completely agree....it's time for a discourse. C1 is self-promoted....racers looking out for racer's best interests. I'd bet they would be very receptive.

I never understood how the baseball guy's claimed a world title by playing mostly teams here in the US. Atleast we only had a boycott this fall and not a strike - BH

There has been talk of a 6.0L class in Europe to get Major manufactures involved. They all make something in that range. BMW Ferrari Ford Chevy Chrysler Toyota ect....
pat W